Quality of Life in Australian Women with Female Pattern Hair Loss

Background: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) produces chronic progressive hair loss in women. The morbidity is predominately psychological. Empirical research investigating the psychological aspects of FPHL and the impact of initiation of treatment in Australian women is absent. Objective: To examine the impact of FPHL on the quality of life (QOL) and the impact of initiation of treatment on QOL. Method: 77 women with biopsy-proven FPHL receiving treatment with oral antiandrogens, 53 women on a waiting list to receive treatment for FPHL and 82 women not affected by hair loss completed the Women’s AGA Quality of Life Questionnaire (WAA-QOL). Results: AGA affected women reported poorer health-related QOL than non-affected women. There was no change in QOL over a two-month period following assessment and initiation of treatment. The WAA-QOL was found to have excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .97) and test-retest reliability (correlation coefficient = .92). Conclusion: The findings confirm the detrimental impact of FPHL on the QOL and the lack of impact of medical consultation and initiation of treatment on QOL at 2 months. This has implications for the treatment of psychological difficulties associated with FPHL and suggests a possible role for adjuvant psychological intervention.